Capstans for advancing a plurality of strands



March 22, 1955 E. D. HANSON CAPSTANS FOR ADVANCING A PLURALITY OF STRANDS Filed May 23, 1952 INVENTOR E. D. HANS ON A TTORNEV United States Patent Office 2,704,794 Patented Mar. 22, 1955 CAPSTANS FOR ADVANCING A PLURALITY OF STRANDS Estyle D. Hanson, Baltimore, Md., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 23, 1952, Serial No. 289,570

8 Claims. (Cl. 1911) This invention relates to capstans for advancing a plurality of strands, and more particularly to composite capstans having a plurality of individual wire-supporting elements mounted thereon in insulated relationship for advancing a plurality of wires.

It is an object of this invention to provide new and improved capstans for advancing a plurality of strands.

It is another object of the present invention to provide new and improved capstans for advancing a plurality of metal strands in insulated relation to each other.

It is a further object of the invention to provide composite capstans having a plurality of individual wiresupporting elements for advancing a plurality of wires.

One apparatus illustrating certain features of the invention may include a rotatable supporting member, insulating means surrounding the supporting member, a plurality of annular wire-supporting members encircling said insulating means, a plurality of insulating spacers disposed between the strand-supporting means and means for compressing the strand-supporting means and the spacers together with suflicient force to cause them to form a unit so that the strand-supporting means rotate in unison.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a drum secured at its ends to heads which are fixed to a shaft and have peripheral portions extending radially beyond the drum to form flanges therefor. A sleeve of insulating material is mounted on the drum, a plurality of flat annular discs of insulating material are rotatably supported on the sleeve in spaced relation to each other, and a plurality of metal wire-supporting means are mounted slidably on the sleeve between the separator discs. The supporting means have grooved peripheries for receiving wires therein which are to be advanced by the capstan. An annular pressure plate disposed adjacent to one flange is actuated by threaded members in the flange to compress the series of wire-supporting means and spacing discs against each other with suflicient force to cause these elements to form a unit so that all the Wire-supporting members rotate in unison.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof and the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is an end elevation of the capstan shown mounted adjacent to one end of a plating tank for withdrawing a plurality of the wires from the tank;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through a portion of the capstan, and

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the capstan with portions thereof shown in section.

Referring to the drawing, a capstan is fixed to a shaft 11, which is rotatably supported at its ends in bearings 12 mounted on a suitable framework 13 at one end of a plating tank 14. A motor 17 connected to the shaft 11 through a pulley and belt driving connection 18 serves to rotate the captan 10 and cause it to withdraw a plurality of wires 20 from the plating tank 14 and advance the wires over a plurality of idler pulleys 21 to i ake-ilip reels (not shown) at lower level, as indicated in The capstan 10 comprises a cylindrical metal drum 25, the ends of which abut circular heads 26 and engage annular shoulders 27 thereon for aligning the drum on the heads. A plurality of cap screws 28 secure the heads 26 to the drum, and the heads are secured to the shaft 11 by set screws 30 in the bosses 31 of the heads. The outer peripheral portion of the heads 26 extend radially beyond the drum 25 to form flanges 33 thereon. Mounted on the drum 25 and co-extensive therewith is a sleeve 35 of insulating material, and encircling the sleeve of insulating material 35 are a plurality of metal rings 37 provided with V-shaped grooves 38 for receiving the wires 20 therein. The metal rings 37 have cylindrical inner peripheral surfaces slidably supported on the sleeve 35, and have flat opposite end faces engageable with annular flat discs 40 of insulating material. The discs 40 are supported on the sleeve 35 on opposite sides of each of the metal rings 37, and serve as spacers to separate and insulate the adjacent rings 37 from each other.

interposed between the endmost disc 40 and the flanges 33 of the heads 26 are flat annular metal pressure plates 42, one or both of which are adapted to be moved toward the other by a plurality of screws 44 threaded in apertures in the flanges 33 of the heads 26 with the ends of the screws engaging the pressure plates 42. The screws 44 in one or both of the heads 26 may be adjusted to exert a predetermined pressure on the pressure plates 42 to compress the metal rings 37 and the spacers 40 with sufiicient force to cause the rings 37 and the spacers 40 to form a unit which rotates with the drum 25. Thus, the rings 37 are driven in unison to advance the wires 20.

The rings 37 are made of a metal that is wear resisttant, has a high coeflicient of friction, and also is a good conductor of electricity. For example, they may be made of Nichrome, Cyclops metal, manganese steel, or the like. Whenever any of these rings becomes worn, the capstan may be disassembled and the worn rings replaced by new ones. Thus, it is not necessary to replace the entire capstan when only a part of the total wire-engaging surface thereof becomes worn. The sleeve 35 and the discs 40 may be made of any suitable insulating material, such as phenol canvas, hard rubber, or the like. They also may be replaced readily, when damaged, while the remaining elements of the capstan are reused.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of this invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

l. A capstan for advancing a plurality of strands, which comprises a rotatable supporting member, insulating means surrounding the supporting member, a plurality of annular strand-supporting members movably positioned on and encircling said insulating means, a plurality of insulating spacers disposed between the strand-supporting members, and means rotatable with the supporting member for compressing the strand-supporting members and the spacers together with sutficient force to cause them to form a unit so that the strandsupporting members rotate in unison with said supporting member.

2. A capstan for advancing a plurality of strands comprising its longitudinal elongated supporting member rotatable about an axis, a plurality of strand-engaging metal rings movably positioned on and encircling said supporting member, insulating means on said rotatable member for supporting said rings in insulated relation to said rotatable member and in concentric relation to the axis thereof, spacing members of insulating material disposed between and on opposite sides of said rings, retaining means positioned at one end of said rotatable supporting member and rotatable therewith against which said spacers and rings may be compressed, and means on the other end of said rotatable member for compressing said rings and spacing members against each other and said retaining means to cause said rings and said rotatable supporting member to rotate as a unit.

3. A capstan for advancing a plurality of strands through an electroforming apparatus comprising a rotatable cylindrical member, a sleeve of insulating material positioned on and encircling said cylindrical member, a plurality of metallic rings movably positioned on and encircling said sleeve in spaced relation to each other and having peripheral strand-engaging grooves, annular spacers of insulating material movably positioned on and encircling said sleeve, said spacers being disposed between I and on opposite sides of said rings, and means rotatable with said cylindrical member for engaging and compressing said rings and said spacers against each other to establish a positive driving connection between said rings and said cylindrical member.

4. A capstan for advancing a plurality of wires through an electroforming apparatus comprising a cylindrical drum, heads on the ends of said drum having portions thereof extending'beyond the periphery of the drum to form end flanges on said drum, means for removably securing one of said heads to said drum, a plurality of metallic rings movably positioned concentrically on said drum in spaced relation thereto and to each other and having wire-supporting peripheral grooves thereon, insulating means supporting said rings on said drum in insulated and concentric relation thereto, annular spacers of insulating material movably positioned concentrically on said insulating means and disposed on opposite sides of said rings, and means operatively connected to one of said flanges for compressing said rings and said spacers against each other and the other flange, whereby the rings and spacers rotate positively in unison with the cylindrical drum.

5. A capstan for advancing a plurality of wires through an electroforming apparatus comprising a rotatable cylindrical drum, heads on the ends of said drum having portions thereof extending beyond the periphery of the drum to form end flanges on said drum, means for removably securing one of said heads to said drum, a sleeve of insulating material closely encircling said drum, a plurality of metallic rings encircling and movably supported on said sleeve in spaced relation to each other and having wire-engaging peripheral grooves thereon, annular spacers of insulating material encircling and movably supported on said sleeve and disposed between and on opposite sides of said rings, an annular member disposed between one of said flanges and the spacer adjacent thereto, and means on said flange for moving said pressure member axially to compress said rings and said spacers against each other and the other flange, whereby the rings and spacers rotate positively with the drum.

6. A takeup capstan for advancing a plurality of strands comprising a rotatable cylindrical member, means forming annular, radially extending flanges on said drum, means for removably securing at least one of said flanges to said cylindrical member, a sleeve of insulating material encircling said cylindrical member, a plurality of metallic rings encircling and movably supported on said sleeve in spaced relation to each other and having grooved strand-engaging peripheries, annular spacers of insulating material disposed in abutting relation with opposite sides of said metallic rings, an annular pressure member disposed between one of said flanges and the spacer adjacent thereto, and adjustable means on said flange for moving said pressure member axially to compress said rings and said spacers against each other and the other flange, whereby the rings and spacers rotate positively with the drum.

7. A capstan for advancing a plurality of strands comprising a cylindrical drum, heads on the ends of said drum having portions thereof' extending beyond the periphery of the drum to form flanges on the ends of said drum, means for removably securing said heads to said drum, a plurality of metallic rings encircling said drum, said rings having flat end faces and grooved strand-supporting outer peripheries, flat annular spacers of insulating material disposed between and .on opposite sides of said metallic rings in engagement with the flat faces thereof, insulating means supporting said rings and said spacers on the drum in insulated and concentric relation thereto, an annular pressure member disposed between one of the flanges and the spacer adjacent thereto, and threaded elements on said flange for moving said pressure member axially to compress said rings and said spacers against each other and the other flange.

8. Acapstan for advancing a plurality of wires through an electroforming apparatus comprising a rotatable supporting member having a cylindrical drum and heads on the ends of said drum with portions of the heads extending beyond the periphery of the drum to form flanges, means for removably securing said heads to said drum, means on said heads for supporting said heads on said drum for rotation therewith, a sleeve of insulating material encircling and supported on said drum, a plurality of metallic rings encircling and movably supported on said sleeve in spaced relation to each other, said rings having V-shaped peripheral grooves for receiving wires therein, annular spacers of insulating material disposed on opposite sides of said metallic rings, a pair of annular pressure members disposed between said flanges and the outermost spacers, and threaded means on said head for moving said pressure members axially to compress said rings and said spacers against each other between said pressure members to establish a frictional driving connection between said rings and said rotatable supporting member.

No references cited. 

